Network browsing remote controller with rotary selecting unit

ABSTRACT

A network browsing remote controller comprises a body, a plurality of selecting buttons and a rotary selecting unit. Some parts of the edge of the rotary selecting unit project over the edge of the inward concave section. Moreover, the selecting buttons are divided into several groups according to the similarity of function and are installed on the cambered surface of the housing of the body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a remote controller, especially to a remote controller having a rotary selecting unit for operating a network browser.

[0003] 2. Background of the Invention

[0004] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,724,106 and 5,530,455 disclosed remote controllers with “mouse function” for operating a network browser.

[0005] However, such prior arts for network browsing remote controller are plan-design has a plane surface and the control buttons thereof are arranged as a orderly matrix. This type of design is relatively inconvenient and is against the design of ergonomics. During the operation, a user will waste lots of time for searching a desired button and then moves his finger toward the button and presses it. In addition, the operation for a network browsing remote controller with a track ball thereon is inefficient and inconvenient. The user needs to move or stretch his finger exactly upon the track ball to operate the track ball, since, in general, the track ball is arranged on the upper portion of the surface.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to design a remote controller by which the user may conveniently and rapidly operate the remote controller to overcome the defects of the prior arts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a remote controller by which the network browser may be controlled easily and rapidly.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a network browsing remote controller with a rotary selecting unit which can be easily operated.

[0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide a network browsing remote controller on which the button groups can be identified easily.

[0010] The network browsing remote controller of the present invention which provides a housing for installing a control circuit and a signal generator comprises a body, a plurality of selecting buttons and a rotary selecting unit,. The control signal can transfer the control signal inputted from selecting buttons or a rotary selecting unit to a network browser through the signal generator.

[0011] The body is a hollow cambered housing and formed by an upper cover and a lower cover. The control circuit and signal generator are installed inside of housing like prior arts. The plurality of selecting buttons and rotary selecting unit are installed preferably on the upper cover according to their functions.

[0012] The selecting buttons provide different input functions to select functions which may generate different control signals. The control signals may be assigned by different operation of a network browser, such as control signals of Web TV menu, Enter, Stop, Reload, Shift, Frame, Page-up, Page-down, Back, Forward, Tools, Home and etc.

[0013] After receiving the control signals inputted from the selecting buttons or the rotary selecting unit, the control circuit transfers the control signals to the signal generator.

[0014] The control signal transferred to the network browser through radio frequency, an infrared, or a wired communication method to communicate with the network browser.

[0015] In the present invention, a camber-moon shape is adapted as the shape of the body. It has an outward convex section and an inward concave section. Furthermore, a rotary ring disk selecting element is pivotally installed in the inward concave section. Some parts of the edge of the rotary selecting unit project over the edge of the inward concave section. While the camber-moon shape formed by the inward concave section and the outward convex section can be easily held by a user so that the user may easily and comfortably control the remote controller.

[0016] The shape of the upper cover of the body may is preferably a archwise cover to provide different groups of selecting buttons mounted thereon. The selecting buttons can be divided into several button groups according to the similarity of function. Through arranging different groups of selecting buttons on different elevations of the upper cover, the user can clearly identifies the position of a button because of the friendly design. In addition, the camber-moon shape matches the requirement of ergonomics so that the user may easily and rapidly control the remote controller of the present invention.

[0017] The present invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing to the following drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018]FIG. 1 is a plane view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0019]FIG. 2 is the schematic view of the usage of the present invention.

[0020]FIG. 3 is a local cross sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

[0021]FIG. 4 is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIGS. 5-12 is an operational view shown that the present invention is applied on an image map.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1˜4, the remote controller of the present invention comprises a body 1, a rotary selecting unit 2, and a plurality of selecting buttons 3 arranged on the body 1.

[0024] The body 1 is a hollow housing. In a preferred embodiment, the body 1 may be formed by an upper cover 11 and a lower cover 12, and the inner part thereof contains a control circuit (not shown in the figure), a signal generator (not shown in the figure, a well-know device) and etc. The plurality of selecting buttons are arranged on the housing. In a preferred embodiment, most of the selecting buttons are distributed on the upper cover 11 for operating the control circuit to control the signal generator for generating different signals.

[0025] The selecting buttons 3 provide the user to select functions which may generate different signals, such as a Web TV menu button 31, a stop button 32, a reload button 33, a shift button 34, a frame button 35, a page-up button 36, a page-down button 37, a back button 38, a forward button 39, a tool button 40, a home button 41, and etc. Through these button, the signal generator within the body 1 may transfer the control signal a network browser according to the selection of users. The signal transformation should be wireless, such as, through radio transmitter or infrared transmitter. Since the wireless transformation is well known by those skilled in the art, thus it will not be described herein.

[0026] One of the character of the present invention is that a camber-moon structure is adapted as the shape of the body 1. As shown in FIG. 1, it has an outward convex section 13 and an inward concave section 14. The cambered lines of the outward convex section 13 and the inward concave section 14 are preferably toward the same direction to be easily held by the user. Furthermore, a rotary ring disk selecting element 2 is pivotally installed in the inward concave section 14. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, some parts of the edge of the rotary selecting unit 2 project over the edge of the inward concave section 14. Therefore the user can easily use his thumb to operate the rotary selecting unit 2.

[0027] Because the entering action is generally the following step after the selecting action, it is preferable that an enter button 21 is mounted on the central section of the rotary selecting unit 2. In the embodiment, when the rotary selecting unit 2 is rotated clockwise, it represents an upward movement; while the rotary disk is rotated counterclockwise, it represents a downward movement. If a converse button 34 is clicked, then a clockwise rotation of the rotary selecting unit 2 represents a rightward movement, while a counterclockwise rotation of the rotary selecting unit 2 represents a leftward movement.

[0028] By the rotary selecting unit 2 of the present invention, the searching of network pages will be more suitable the requirement of ergonomic so that the orientation sense of an user can match the variation of drawings. For example, the case is shown in FIGS. 5˜12. Referring now to FIG. 5, a map of Taiwan is disclosed. A special section 52 (dashed lines section) corresponding to the rotary selecting unit 2 is indicated in the drawing 51. When the rotary selecting unit 2 is rotated clockwise to the position of FIG. 7, the special section 52 on the drawing 51 will be changed to the upper portion thereof, as shown in FIG. 8. Similarly, FIG. 9 is correspondent to FIG. 10, and FIG. 11 is correspondent to FIG. 12. When the rotary selecting unit 2 continuously rotates clockwise, it will return to the position of FIG. 5.

[0029] Another character of the present invention is that the selecting buttons 3 can be divided into several button groups distributed on the surface of the body 1 according to the similarity of function thereof. Thereby, the user may easily operate and use it. For example, in the present embodiment, the function of the stop button 32, reload button 33, shift button 34, and frame button 35 are similar, thus they are classified as a button group mounted on a near area. While the function of the tool button 40 and home button 41 are similar, thus they are classified as a button group. While the functions of the page-up button 36 and the page-down button 37 are similar, thus they are classified as one group. Similarly, the functions of the back button 38 and the forward button 39 are processed as one group. For easily identify different group of buttons, the buttons of same button group are suggested to have same shape.

[0030] Although the present invention has been described using specified embodiment, the examples are meant to be illustrative and not restrictive. It is clear that many other variations would be possible without departing from the basic approach, demonstrated in the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A network browsing remote controller which is used to send a plurality of signals to control a network browser, computer program or the like comprising: a body having an outer edge; a plurality of selecting buttons distributed on the body; and a rotary selecting unit pivotally installed on the body, some parts of the edge of said rotary selecting unit projecting over the outer edge of said body so that said rotary selecting unit may be rotated conveniently.
 2. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said outer edge of said body has an inward concave section, and said rotary selecting unit is pivotally installed in the inward concave section.
 3. The remote controller as claimed in claim 2 , wherein an outward convex section with respect to the inward concave section is formed on the outer edge of said body so that said outer edge of said body is formed as a camber-moon shape,
 4. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said rotary selecting unit further comprises a selecting button installed in the central region of said a rotary selecting unit.
 5. The remote controller as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said selecting buttons is an entering button.
 6. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said outer edge of said body has a cambered upper cover, and said plurality of selecting buttons are distributed on the surface of said upper cover.
 7. The remote controller as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said plurality of selecting buttons is divided into several different button group, each group is distributed on the surface of said upper cover.
 8. The remote controller as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said buttons in each group have similar function and similar or same shape. 